Under Cerulean Skies
by Dark Moon Crystales
Summary: It's high school for Serge and friends! A new girl entices him in class with her obnoxious attitude, a secret admirer gives him increasingly dangerous gifts and Leena's violent jealousy kicks in. A pendant belonging to the missing Zelbess is found but someone doesn't want the mystery solved... New chapter! Irenes thinks she knows the culprit and Serge makes bad decisions... Not AU.
1. The Girl Who Stole the Stars

Hello everyone! I'm DMC and this is my first crack at a CC story! I absolutely love high school romances and crime mysteries so I love to combine those two and see where it takes me. I've wanted to write this fic for such a long time and I hope you'll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.

**...**

**UNDER CERULEAN SKIES CHAPTER 1 The Girl Who Stole the Stars**

**...**

First day of school.

Serge squinted as he arrived through the gates on campus. He had to put down his bag for a moment, take in what was happening. He couldn't believe this would be his life from now on. The majestic old building stood in the rays of the morning sun, light reflecting from its many windows. In front of it a fountain and huge rose bushes, Leena would know their correct name. Behind him the city of Termina buzzing with life. Students just like him swarmed in front of the entrance, all waiting to be admitted or returning to school from summer vacation. Serge couldn't help but smile. He had come so far from the small fishing village of Arni. Despite moving to Termina he didn't want to forget where he came from and dressed as he was used to, blue shorts, a black t-shirt and a silvery vest. Not to forget his headscarf. He liked that thing, despite what anyone said.

"Hey! Serge!" Glenn shouted from behind him, then trotted next to him with a smile. Sun had bleached his hair even blonder than usually, but he hadn't given up his bandanna during summer. What he had given up though was his armour, he wore only a basic brown t-shirt with jeans. Obviously the armour had belonged to his knight academy which he had completed during summer. "Are you excited? It's first day of school!"

Serge nodded and picked up his bag, ready to go closer to his new home.

"Look! There's Riddel, Orlha and Leena", Glenn said as he shaded his face with his palm. "Are you still going out with Leena?"

Serge didn't answer. He looked at the girls, all of them bronzed and happy, chattering away with each other as if they hadn't seen all summer. Leena had been kind of possessive lately and he had had to take some distance to her, of course without her knowing. She would've smacked him silly had he confronted her about her jealousy.

"Hey guys", Norris walked up to them. "Summer's over. Time to get to work." He had a heavy backpack with him, the straight A student. Under his leather jacket he wore a blue overall, a very sophisticated outfit for a student. Serge always felt underdressed around him. Norris was bent on becoming an officer and he needed good grades, he was very serious about his education and wouldn't let anything distract him.

"Hey Mr. Officer, would you like to get a life?" Karsh sneered at Norris as he passed them with Pierre. His hair had grown longer and he looked somehow meaner than before. Serge looked at him in disbelief, he had always been broody but he hadn't believed that Karsh could also be a bully. Pierre laughed along with his friend as they walked away. The two had always been an odd couple, the introvert and the narcissist.

"Leave him alone", Glenn stood up for Norris. He had always been eager to protect his friends. Norris put a hand on his shoulder, saying: "Don't bother, they'll never stop it anyway."

The young warrior stomped, snorting with anger. "It's just not right! They're not better than you, how can they act like it?" He exclaimed.

From behind them they could hear distant cries of love smitten girls getting louder and louder. Serge looked over his shoulder as Norris and Glenn spoke of the two jerks that had tried to ruin their day. Through a herd of girls he could make out Nikki's red and black hair, knowing that the rocker was on his way to school. In his fan group he could make out Janice and Miki.

"That's like totally awesome", Nikki responded to a girl as he passed them. "Oh, hey guys, school's in."

Both Janice and Miki waved hello to them, unable to break free from Nikki's company. He had just been around performing and had returned a few days ago to Termina where his loyal fans had been waiting for his return.

They walked behind them towards the white building, taking in all that was there. So many students, so much life and a beautiful campus. Dorms stood on one side of the building, banana trees growing in front of them, swaying in the gentle breeze that came from the sea. Serge, Glenn and Norris arrived at the double doors and checked their classroom from the poster that had been put up for all new students. As they scanned their destination, they overheard Karsh say to Riddel: "Hey girl, we should go to the docks some day together."

"I... I'm not sure..." Riddel answered at length, blushing. She twirled a strand of her black hair in her fingers.

"As long as you're a douche she'll never go out with you!" Orlha defended her friend. "So grow up and be a man!"

Serge waved to both of the girls and Orlha ran to him, picking him up into a hug. She was so strong, yet she was still a very attractive girl with her blonde ponytails and green little dress. Most boys were afraid of her and it made it difficult for her to find promising dates. Not even Karsh made fun of her. She had shown him the stars a few times before, if you catch my drift.

"Allow me to show you a magic trick", Guile talked to a few girls by the door, holding a deck of cards. Sheena was also with him, the two had spent a lot of time together during summer. Of course, Sheena had been away long periods of time because of her studies to become a shaman but Guile had always waited for her and after her exhausting trips he had cheered her up with his magic tricks.

"I'm really not interested", Sheena replied, her style had significally changed during summer. She had become more mature and obtained some of the symbols given to the shaman students, she had an elaborate hair bun and longer violet robes of silk. She had also become more serious, probably because her studies demanded so much of her attention.

"Amuse me", Guile insisted, waving the cards in front of her face. "Pick any one you like but don't let me see it." Serge flashed him a smile, he noticed it and nodded as a greeting. He still dressed as flamboyantly as before, true to his magician self.

"Come on", Glenn grabbed Serge's hand and pulled him through the crowd inside the building. The hallways were mostly white with dark marble floors and wooden staircases. On the walls paintings of previous headmasters or that was what Serge assumed they were, he didn't have time to examine them. Their class was fairly easy to find, one set of stairs, a left and then right and it was the first door on the left. Glenn pulled Serge behind him all the way, afraid that they might be late. He was always on time. Norris paced alongside them, carrying his large backpack. He didn't say anything.

As they entered the class room, Irenes was already there. Her make up was done with precision and her blue hair was absolutely beautiful. She had probably been there for a good half an hour already, chatting away with their English teacher Fargo. It was no secret that she had a huge crush on him, or maybe he was the only one who didn't know about it. She didn't notice anyone until Serge tapped her on the shoulder. She answered to them as if through a dream, never letting her gaze off Fargo. Serge chuckled. Her devotion to Fargo was kind of strange since Zelbess had been his fiancee before she had died in an accident at sea.

Grobyc was the last one to shuffle into the classroom, looking as depressed as usually. No one had heard of or seen him during summer, it was as if he had been missing for a few months and then suddenly appeared on campus. He murmured an apology barely audible and made his way to the back row, finding a seat next to the buxom bunny girl, Janice. She greeted him cheerfully, he refused to answer her. Fargo looked after him, slightly worried about the young man.

"Hello class and welcome to Termina college." Fargo continued, stroking his mustache. He had been waxing it all morning to look sharp in front of his new class and he was quite pleased with it. Before he could continue any further the door opened and a girl rushed in.

"Sorry I'm late", she said as she made her way to an empty seat. She wore nothing but a skimpy red top with an even skimpier red dress and her long blonde hair was on a ponytail. She glanced around the class room with her blue eyes, immediately noticing Serge who was blushing because she had such little clothes and he couldn't force himself to look away.

"Won't you take a picture, handsome? It'll last longer", she jeered at him as she sat down and lifted her boots on the desk.

"I didn't say you could sit down, young lady", Fargo said. "We already started."

"Yeah?" she said defiantly as she lifted her feet on her desk. "So throw me out."

...

First chapter, there it is! Did you like it? Please let me know what you thought, it'll make my day!


	2. Beginning of a Dream

Thank you so much for your kind reviews! I hope you like this chapter as much as the first one!

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**UNDER CERULEAN SKIES CHAPTER 2 Beginning of a Dream**

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Fargo and Kidd stared at each other.

Finally it was Fargo who turned away and gave up. He didn't want to start arguing on the very first day so he let Kidd pass with only a warning. He still demanded that she take her boots off the desk. She smiled smugly as she fixed her position and sat upright, knowing that already she had the upper hand. She glanced at Serge, something about him awoke her curiosity. He was handsome, she couldn't deny that, deep blue eyes with pitch black hair... striking. Kidd felt a sudden change in her heartbeat, never before had that happened. She clenched her fist on her chest, as if trying to find a palpable reason for it. Stupid heart, trying to mess her head up. From the corner of her eye she noticed how Serge tried not to look at her and failed miserably. Gladly Glenn smacked him on the head and whispered loudly:

"Can you be any more obvious?"

Serge smiled sheepishly at his friend and rubbed the back of his neck.

Kidd, still a little dumbfounded, turned around in a flash and leaned towards Serge: "Oi! Take a picture sweet cheeks, it'll last longer!" She had always been taught that the best defence was offense. Whenever she was scared or out of her comfort zone she would lash out and push others away. And feelings, those were the stupidest of all! All they did was mess with her head and make her weak. And she wasn't weak.

Serge blushed and bit his lower lip, trying to find something else to look at than the beautiful girl in front of him. She kept staring at him intensely, he wished he could have vanished into thin air. The way she dressed begged for him to look yet he knew he shouldn't have. She was so blunt it made him feel uncomfortable, he had never met girls like her before. Leena was a nice albeit a slightly jealous girl and Riddel was sweet and kind, Miki was loud and funny, Orlha was one of the guys and Janice was an oddball but none of them were so blunt and deliberately obnoxious.

"Hey, I'm Kidd." Her expression softened a little as Serge refused to answer. She took a hold of his desk to lean closer on her chair. The classroom was running out of corners for him to look at. She leaned so close that he had no choice but to look directly into her eyes, so close that their noses almost touched. He was extremely uncomfortable. Her eyes were blue like the sky on a summer day and deep like the ocean. On her cheeks she had white paint, one thin line on each cheek. Her lips were small and plump, peachy in color. On her neck a purple necklace, Serge had no idea what it was made of, he had never seen anything like it. She was too close, scrutinizing him with her blue eyes, drilling holes in him. Suddenly she grinned and jerked away: "I like ya! What do ya say, let's ditch this joint! There's a festival-"

"Leave him alone!" Norris hissed to her from a nearby seat. He had seen Serge's plight and reacted faster than Glenn, who was at a loss of what to say. Just like Serge, he had been taken off-guard by Kidd's obnoxiousness. Norris knew Serge was too kind to tell her to stop bugging him. He didn't consider the possibility of him actually not wanting her to stop.

"Well, suit yaself." Kidd shrugged and turned to look at Norris, holding onto Serge's desk so that she wouldn't fall over with her chair. "If the dog won't bark, maybe ya should?"

Norris only rolled his eyes and delved into his study book again.

"Am I interruptin' something?" Fargo walked closer to them. On his face was a slightly annoyed expression. "Tell us all what's so important it can't wait until the end of the lecture."

Kidd rolled her eyes: "Nothin', teacher. We're all just studyin'."

Fargo looked at them intensely, knowing perfectly well who had taken part in the little scene. Norris was engulfed in his studies. Serge was even more uncomfortable than before. Glenn sighed and tried to look away as if he didn't even know his best friend.

"I'm hopin' this was the only occasion we have to interrupt the learning of others." Fargo ascertained as he returned to the front of the class. He caressed gently his mustache as he went, completely ignoring the wistful sigh Irenes let out in the front row. As he picked up a piece of chalk to continue his lecture, Kidd turned around in a flash and stuck her tongue out at Serge. He was still as lost as before. He couldn't understand that girl at all, she took him completely off guard. She was confident and flirty and blunt and so very different. Somehow she was intriguing, even though a voice inside him told him that she was going to be trouble.

He looked at Glenn for some insight, but was ignored. He sighed as he opened his study book and tried not to look at Kidd's exposed lower back for the rest of the lesson.

After what felt like ages the bell finally rang. Among the first to leave the classroom was Leena, her hands crossed on her chest and a storm cloud on her forehead. She had seen what had happened but didn't want to make a scene. Without noticing her Orlha and Riddel walked to the boys. They had already packed their books and waited for the guys to walk to the next lesson with them. Students poured into the hallway, Fargo cleaned the chalk board and Irenes was reluctantly and unnecessarily slowly packing up her things, probably waiting for him to tell her to hurry it up. He never did.

"Hey, Norris", Orlha said quietly, glancing at Kidd. "Who is that new girl? Is she someone you know?"

Norris shook his head fiercely: "I wouldn't hang around her, she's bad influence!" He swung his backpack on his back and left, murmuring protests about skipping classes as he went.

Glenn stacked his books as he said: "It's like she just appeared this morning..."

Serge nodded along. Even though he had never seen Kidd before, there was something familiar about her.

"Maybe she's some sort of an exchange student", Riddel said, one hand resting on her hip. She was wearing her beautiful long dress that revealed her figure but didn't show any skin. It was a very sophisticated dress, adorned with fish and snake scales from top to bottom and they glittered in a thousand colours as light reflected from them. Her headband she had left at home and her long black hair flowed down her back like a waterfall. She was a stunning sight, there wasn't a boy who hadn't eyed her. Luckily she had Orlha by her side almost all the time, her best friend and guardian. Orlha treated Riddel like her little sister, the death of Tia had been very hard on her but Riddel had helped her through the sorrow and depression she had felt after her loss.

"Maybe she needs someone to show her around!" Pierre had overheard their conversation and bolted after the girl. "_Mademoiselle_!" He shouted.

Kidd stopped and turned around, looking at Pierre with a raised eyebrow, a boy so slender and thin. He was dressed in an expensive blue tunic with a red silk cape on his shoulders, embroidered with golden patterns along the edges. To top it off he had a flashy silver brooch with diamonds and a large white hat with a colorful feather no one else could have seriously worn. As he went closer to her, Kidd's body language could not have been any clearer; she wanted to be left alone or at least without his company. Pierre paid no heed to the murderous look she shot him. He confidently walked to her and put his arm around her shoulder as he said in a smooth voice: "_Mademoiselle_, you most definitely need a guide on campus, mm?"

Kidd tried to take a step away from him, but the boy pulled her closer.

"If you are new, Pierre will show you everything." Pierre whispered into her ear. Kidd struggled to free herself, but he held on.

"Take it off or I'll break it off", she finally hissed through her teeth.

Pierre let go as if he had been hit by lightning and retreated back to his seat, staring at her with a terrified expression.

Glenn, Serge, Riddel and Orlha burst out laughing. Poor Pierre had suffered a terrible blow to his self confidence. Kidd turned around and winked at Serge, disappearing into the hallway. Grobyc sneaked out right after her, looking gloomy as usual.

Pierre was still collecting his poise as they exited the classroom. Karsh and Zoah made stupid remarks about his charming skills not worth mentioning. Nikki and his fanclub filled the hallway. Girls swarmed him. Whatever he did, there was squealing. Serge was able to see the passing moment in which Miki walked into the hallway and the look on Nikki's face as he saw her. Her long coppery hair and blue eyes with glittering make-up, the star she had drawn on her cheek and her golden headband, the one with a crescent moon. For a passing second Nikki's eyes lit up, a smile tugged at his lips. She squirmed between the other girls, her beautiful figure covered only by a tiny pink top and a little chiffon dress. Her long legs and arms were covered with the same fabric with a printed zigzag pattern on the sides. In her hands she sometimes trailed two long white chiffon cloths, especially when she danced. Although Serge had noticed the brief moment of love smitten joy on Nikki's face, Miki hadn't seen it. She had already gone.

Glenn pushed his way through the fanclub, pulling behind him Serge who held onto Riddel's hand. Orlha pushed through on her own. Glenn rolled his eyes as the crowd moved away from them following Nikki towards the next lesson loyally: "How does he do that? I mean, there were at least 20 girls!"

Serge chuckled, being a rockstar wasn't easy.

Riddel looked after Nikki: "He's very popular..."

"I liked that one song... can't remember the name of it though..." Orlha thought out loud. As they spoke, they were walking down a long hallway lined with classrooms on either side. One of the doors was open, revealing Luccia working with different colored liquids. Serge was almost sure she would be teaching them chemistry. He couldn't help but wonder would she continue her strange experiments on school grounds as well... He tried to wave a hello to her, but she was too entrenched in her work to notice. Students passed them, up and down the hallway, in and out of classrooms chatting cheerfully with each other.

Suddenly there was a puff of smoke as a strange girl appeared in front of them. In a passing second she was pressed against Serge, giving a kiss on his cheek. She pushed a large blue box with a red bow on top of it into his arms.

_"Mon amour..." _She whispered into his ear and disappeared with another puff of smoke. It had all happened so fast that later on they couldn't even properly remember what she looked like, only that she had a red clown-like outfit as if she were part of a traveling band.

"What was that?" Orlha looked at her friends with a confused expression. Riddel stood quietly next to her.

"Is it a present?" Glenn looked as perplexed as the receiver. Some students had stopped to stare and discuss the strange apparition in a low voice. From the crowd Janice skipped to them, excited by what had happened.

"Wow! Did you get a present?" Janice looked at the box with curiosity and bounced up and down, crossing her hands.

Serge stood quietly and only held the blue box, having no clue at all. Hadn't Janice tried to take the box from him and Orlha slapping her on her fingers it would have taken Serge a lot longer to snap out of it. Upon closer examination it really was a gift with blue wrappers and a big red bow.

"Come on, open it!" The bunny girl exclaimed. Her blue eyes shone as she waited for him to unravel the mysterious package. She was a pretty albeit strange girl, with her large bunny ears and her tightly cut bob. Also, she had a habit of wearing shirts that showed off her cleavage quite handsomely. All the guys had noticed that.

Four friends had gathered around Serge as he began to open the present. First he took off the bow, carefully like he was defusing a bomb. Janice grabbed Glenn and held onto him like there was something terribly exciting going on. Riddel in one hand and Janice in the other Glenn couldn't help feeling like a knight protecting two princesses and stood a little taller. Orlha waited quietly. More students had gathered around them to marvel and gossip.

Serge opened the wrappers and stared into the large red eyes of a baby dragon. All of them gasped and Serge flinched. Instinctively he took a step back and dropped the box but the dragon stayed still. It flapped its tiny wings and looked at him with a curious expression. Its face reminded that of a rhinoceros with big blue ears and its wings looked like they had been borrowed from a dragonfly. Blue stripes ran across its yellow scaly body.

"It's... a dragon baby!" Glenn almost whispered, as if to himself. Riddel gasped delightedly.

"And cuuuteee!" Janice exclaimed, bouncing again. Serge could almost see how she exuded tiny hearts all around her.

"Frrriend?" The tiny dragon looked at each of them, back and forth.

"It can TAAALK!" Janice threw her hands in the air, waving them around. She couldn't bear the cuteness she witnessed. Orlha and Serge exchanged looks, neither of them could understand the bunny girl's enthusiasm.

"Do you have a name?" Glenn scrutinized the baby dragon. It looked at him with its huge red eyes and then shook its head.

Janice pulled it into her arms, hugging tight: "We're going to call him Draggy, right? He's super cute! You're going to keep him right?"

"Drrraggy!" The baby dragon exclaimed and licked the bunny girl's cheek. Janice squealed.

Serge smiled sheepishly. He wasn't at all excited about getting a pet. Leena's dog Poshul was enough, he didn't want another huge creature drooling all over him and hogging up his bed not to mention humping his leg in inconvenient or embarrassing situations and eating his sandwiches if he didn't guard them closely. As much as he liked Leena he really had to work to like Poshul.

"But... but..." Janice held the tiny dragon and they both looked at him with pleading eyes, one pair red and one pair blue.

There was an awkward silence between them. Finally Janice sighed and turned to look at Glenn:

"Surely you want a dragon! What's a knight without his trusty steed?" She said.

Another awkward silence. Draggy's and Janice's eyes grew larger and cuter. Riddel was choking in all the cuteness, letting out gasps that sounded like she was hyperventilating. Orlha was ready to catch her if she fainted.

"...Fine." Glenn answered at length. "What's going to happen to it if we don't take care of it?" He continued to Serge who wasn't listening. He had just remembered the kiss the strange apparition had given on his cheek and kept wiping it. Black lipstick. Leena would've killed him had she seen that.

"Yay!" Janice bounced, letting the dragon baby fly again. "Then it's decided! Draggy, meet your new owner, Glenn!"

"Frrriend?" Draggy perched on Glenn's outstretched arm and cooed. Serge had not known dragons cooed.

"So lame", Grobyc ascertained as he walked past them, glancing at the bunny girl. She was so lovely to look at... but he couldn't think of anything to say to her. He wanted to. Even though it was all so lame and mainstream and she'd probably turn out to be boring after all.

No one had even noticed Grobyc passing them as they were too much in awe of the baby dragon. Joining them were Guile and Sheena, both wondering about what had happened. They had seen the puff of smoke, but as they had arrived to the scene it had already been over, the present had been opened and the dragon discovered. Sheena was better at hiding her enthusiasm over Draggy than Guile.

"Quite an amazing trick I must say," Guile ascertained as he fixed hishis mask, scrutinizing Draggy who stared right back at him.

Serge turned to look at him and shrugged. Janice was more than eager to tell everyone her version of how the cute little dragon came to their possession.

"What a strange gift", Sheena ascertained. The little dragon tilted its head as it examined the people around it. It flew a moment, then rested a little on someone's shoulder then flew again. Its tiny wings weren't big enough to hold its weight for long. "I think it might be a red dragon..." Sheena continued quietly.

"I have never seen a baby dragon before", Norris confessed. "They never leave the nest until they've grown proper wings. This one couldn't possibly fly for that long..."

"Do you reckon it might be stolen?" Guile asked. "Interesting."

Norris shook his head: "I have no idea. I'll need to research it a bit."

"It's some sort of a twisted prank", Glenn ascertained, looking at Serge for an opinion. He responded with a raised eyebrow, he couldn't believe anyone would give away dragons as a prank and kiss on it.

"Maybe it was from a secret admirer", Sheena thought out loud, tilting her head. "It wasn't_ from_ anyone, was it?"

"There was no card." Glenn answered. "But there was this girl... I think she was a girl. Do you remember her, Serge?"

Serge nodded slowly, drifting deeper into his mind. There had been a girl, only for a second but she had been there. She had pushed the box into his hands and vanished. Her long nails deep red, white skin, black lips. Her scent that of cherries and bubblegum. For a passing second their eyes had met. Those eyes... he knew them from somewhere. Piercing eyes that drilled holes in him.

_Mon amour..._

Serge flinched. It felt as if someone had whispered those words into his ear. He glanced around but there was no one. No one except his friends who all looked at him with curious expressions. He shook his head fiercely. He couldn't explain it anyway so there was no point in trying.

The crowd began to dissolve as the bell rang, calling for them to join another lesson. Sheena was the first to leave, Guile following close behind her. Janice bounced away, chirping as she went. Such a strange girl. The knight and the dragon looked at each other, both at a loss of what to do or say. Glenn sighed, he could suddenly feel a weight on his back called responsibility. He was going to have to take care of that baby dragon, its upbringing was in his hands. His new pet looked up at him, scrutinizing him if he was strong enough to be his master. Draggy liked him, he had kind eyes. A knight still with trembling hands, fresh out of knight academy, never seen the heat of battle and even less experience of the training of dragons. Serge watched the two and couldn't help but feel that he was witnessing the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Eventually Draggy climbed on Glenn's shoulder and blew out a puff of smoke, obviously a sign of a dragon's approval. Glenn couldn't help but smile.

The hallway was almost empty as they began towards their next class, trotting in a hurry. The bell had already finished ringing and they had a few sets of stairs to climb before they were even near their next classroom. Norris would let them have a piece of his mind if they were late on their first day, dragons or not. There were no excuses.

It was darkening already when Irenes returned to her dorm. Out in the yard Miki was dancing to Nikki's playing. Nikki's group of fangirls sat loyally in a circle around them. The dorms were next to the school building, built in the same style as the school itself and whole of Termina. They were three 3-storey-buildings with windows on each side. Behind the dorms was a lush jungle, in front of them the school yard. Students were arranged randomly because the school board thought that random roommates would prevent bullying. No one knew if it had ever worked.

All dorm rooms contained a small kitchen, bathroom, living room and two bedrooms. The furnishings were simple and mostly made of bamboo, some of them had crude cravings on them about who had been there on a specific year and who two would be heart 4-ever. Irenes shared a kitchen and a living room with the new girl, but she wasn't there. Without giving Kidd a second thought Irenes put the kettle on and carefully chose a bag of tea from the cupboard, jasmine.

Being alone in the quiet dorm room made her think. First day at college was almost over. It had been an interesting one. She had seen all that had happened, but only watched from afar. She had applied to college not to get in trouble with her friends but because through educating herself she could make matters better at home, educate others and spread tolerance. And of course to see Fargo... a long time had passed since she had seen him last.

The kettle whistled and as she got up, something caught her eye in Kidd's room. The door had carelessly been left open, her few belongings thrown on the bed. A knife, rubber bands for her hair and a spare set of clothes. But those hadn't awakened Irenes's curiosity. It was what had glittered under her bed. She knew she shouldn't have entered Kidd's room but couldn't resist. She quickly shuffled closer. Instinctively she looked around to make sure no one saw her and crouched to see better.

A pendant! It had been almost unnoticeable, without the last rays of the sun glistening off its black surface Irenes would never have found it. She had to get on her stomach and slide herself under the bed to reach it. Quickly she got up and dusted herself off. She sat down on Kidd's bed and held the pendant close to her eyes. It was a black diamond necklace, very expensive. Looking at the pitch black stone she felt as if something swelled inside. A black surge. It was enticing. Irenes had never seen a black diamond before, they were extremely rare. Some went as far as to say that they could only be found in a temporal vortex, or some nonsense like that.

Did the new girl have such sums of money on her? She didn't look that rich. Or was it an heirloom? Maybe it had been in her family for generations. Or was she a thief? Had she stolen the pendant from someone? Irenes looked at the pendant intensely, flipping it over. On the back was an engraving, hidden under a layer of dirt and dust. Irenes wiped it with her thumb to reveal the words: _Zelbess forever_. She gasped.

...

Yes, we're about to solve the mystery of Zelbess! Thank you so much for reading! Please review and let me know what you thought! Oh, and it makes my day too!


	3. Gag extra 1

Yes, I'm planning to update a real chapter soon (I promise), but in the meanwhile I hope this scribble will hold your interest. I tried to make Guile less OOC too, sorry for that!

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**EXTRA 2.5 POKERGAME**

On the first night of school the boys decided to have a poker night in one of the dorms. The girls had not been told, especially Serge had gone to great lengths so that Leena had not found out about the boys' evening. His plan had involved various high risk situations and cool poses, however let us spare the reader of the execution of this plan for it was never put to action. In the end he had just snuck out the window after dark.

"I really can't understand how you always win", Glenn said to Norris, who once again wiped the table with four kings.

"It's not fair!" Korcha shouted, crunching his cards. He had bad, bad luck. He had already lost everything and the others weren't allowing him to bet his clothes, his sister or his mother. No one wanted a piece of those.

"I have a system. It's simple really." Norris said nonchalantly, hiding behind a pile of stuff he had already won from the others. He was feeling confident, his math hadn't failed him yet.

Glenn raised an eyebrow as he lifted a card and made his move.

"THEN TELL US AND I WON'T BEAT YOU-" Zoah had lost his helmet last round and covered his face with his palms in order to keep on shouting. "...IN POKER, I MEAN."

"I won't waste my time trying to explain it to you because you wouldn't understand such complex math." Norris answered, not even looking up from his cards. Serge gave Zoah a compassionate smile, he had suffered losses too: his swallow, his necklace and his vest and was pondering whether or not he could bet anything else anymore. He didn't want to end up like Radius, who was in his underwear and too senile to remember he was in his underwear.

"Dude, that's so not cool." Nikki said, fiddling with his cards. He no longer had his make-up palettes, his guitar, his suspenders and even his two groupies had been lost to Norris. They would not take kindly to the news, he pondered.

"I once had a system", Fargo bragged, touching his mustache as he eyed his cards. "Damn cats ruin everything..." he said under his breath. Serge flashed him a smile. They shared a long look, Fargo getting increasingly suspicious and Serge smiling more and more smugly.

"Systems-are-meaningless." Grobyc said monotonously, holding his cards upside down. "The-odds-are-impossible-to-predict. Everything-is-chaos." He lamented, laying his cards on the table.

"You're so sure, aren't you?" Norris said. "Or is it because I won your reasoning drive?"

"A victory in a card game is nothing compared to a victory on a battlefield." Glenn whispered to himself. He was wearing only his tunic, he had lost his armor, both of his swords and slightly surprisingly, promised to ask Orlha out. No one quite knew how that had happened and he was already afraid that she might squeeze him to death out of happiness.

"Norris has to be cheating", Karsh said irately, scratching his head as a sign of his nervousness. His axe, his dragon and his slightly flashy clothes belonged to Norris, he was in his underwear. "I find it suspicious that Serge never says anything, maybe he's in on it too."

Serge grinned.

"Seriously if you can speak, why don't you?" Karsh asked, leaning toward his black-haired friend.

Serge rose and eyebrow and, as a substitute mouth, Glenn replied without even snapping out of his gallant daydream: "If you can smile, why won't you?"

"_Touché_", whispered Pierre, sniffing on a rose. He wasn't playing cards, he was just enjoying the ambiance.

Suddenly the door opened, moonlight spilled in and Guile stepped toward the others.

"I was oblivious there was a poker night held here... May I join?" He said, slightly surprised that he hadn't been invited. The others went pale. They had already lost too much. Everyone knew Guile was unbeatable in poker, whether it was magic or skill, his opponents always left broke, naked and undignified. Chairs screeched against the floor as the players were making their escape.

"Actually, I just remembered I had to take Draggy for a walk." Glenn dashed out past him.

Nikki followed right after his friend, smiling sheepishly. "I need to get a moon tan, so see you guys later..."

"I promise to go easy," Guile said but no one listened. Only Norris was so delved into his calculations that he hadn't even noticed the mage enter.

"I HAVE URGENT BUCKET- I MEAN HELMET BUSINESS TO ATTEND TO", Zoah strode past him, still hiding his face with both hands.

"I was about to go peek into Riddel's bedroom", Karsh stood up as well. "What? I'm just being honest."

"_Excusez-moi, _I'll have to catch frogs", Pierre shuffled out. "I am a tad hungry."

Serge slid under the table and went out the door on all fours. Not the best option, but silly enough for Guile not to even bother to ask him why.

"Well then, let us play cards," Guile sat down and smiled devilishly as there was only one opponent for him, hiding behind a hoard of things. "I reckon I would look handsome in your overalls, Norris."

Norris snapped out of his calculations and noticed who his opponent was. He swallowed.

Later on there was a rumor that a naked blonde young man had ran across campus as the result of a lost poker game, screaming like a little girl. When the teachers asked the students, no one knew where such a rumor could've come from.

Guile enjoyed his new overalls.

...

Yeah, sorry for this too. See you soon in CHAPTER 3! Oh, and if anyone's interested in betareading, let me know. I tend to get lazy when it's time to proofread...


	4. Lost Fragments

**CHAPTER 3 Lost Fragments**

Hi again! Thank you for your kind reviews! I'm sorry it is such a long chapter but hey, it was a long wait too, right?

By the way, Leena means the Cape Howl of _Home World_. Anyone remember what it says? And yes, I'll try to involve Guile more if you'd like that too. Enjoy!

* * *

It was getting late.

Sun was setting beyond the horizon, the big red ball of flame igniting the sky with shades of purple, orange and pink. Banana trees swayed softly in the evening breeze. Serge and Leena were taking a walk on campus right by the cliffs that overlooked the vast ocean bellowing quietly down below. A few seagulls flew over them squawking as they went looking for food in the harbor of Termina. Other students mingled around them paying them no heed. It was a perfect evening, warm and tranquil.

"This is nice", Leena said, clenching Serge's hand in hers and smiling at him sweetly. "Being just the two of us, right?"

Serge nodded, gazing into her lovely green eyes. Leena was beautiful with the breeze in her hair, the last rays of the sun ignited her auburn locks. Her skin was very smooth and clear, her freckles like stars lining her nose and eyes. On their date she wore her usual outfit, a blue knee-high dress with sown ornaments and a long brown vest over it. She also sported a triangular black apron with yellow decorations.

"It's been five years..." Leena said as if to herself, reflecting on their relationship. "Come here." She stopped and tugged him gently closer, her lips plump and asking for a kiss. Serge came obediently, he put his arms around her as the wind from the sea gently pushed them closer to each other. The red-haired girl closed her eyes and inhaled his fresh scent as he pressed his lips against hers softly. She let her hands feel his smooth tan skin under her fingers, his warm chest under his clothes. She pressed as close as she could and let out a sigh of utter happiness after their kiss. Serge smiled and buried his nose in her hair, closing his eyes. Her scent was that of the ocean on a misty morning, fresh and gentle and reminded him of home. He hugged her tighter, pressing her head against his chest.

"Serge... Do you remember what it says on the stone in Cape Howl?" Leena whispered into his chest, had she known how to purr she would have.

He lifted her chin up so that their eyes met, nodded and smiled gently at her. How could he forget? He had been the one to carve it. He gently pressed his lips against hers again and they shared another kiss.

Leena felt at ease. She had been bitten by the jealousy fly when Kidd had so obnoxiously befriended her boyfriend but with just a look and a kiss he had made it all up to her. She knew Serge was too kind and easy to push around but in the end he always belonged to her. He went to great lengths for his friends and even for those he didn't know but there was always only the one he came back to. Only the one he loved. She held him close, all the troubles in her mind melting away into his touch.

Too soon was their moment shattered.

"Oi! Out of the way!" Kidd rushed past them, flashing a smile at Serge.

He flinched and pushed Leena away, she staggered. He quickly noticed his mistake and helped her gain her balance but his eyes were on the quickly distancing Kidd. Leena noticed the look in his eyes and couldn't help but grimace as jealousness once again clenched her heart. How could he be looking at another girl!? She wasn't going to let him get any more distracted and slid her hand on the back of his head as she pulled him into a passionate kiss. Serge's eyes blew wide open for a second but as quickly as Kidd had appeared she was also forgotten, he closed his eyes and immersed himself in their kiss. The new girl had stolen his mind but Leena had brought it back.

They were not getting the moment back despite her good effort.

"Get her!" Irenes shouted as she shuffled past them as fast as she could, it wasn't easy for her to move nimbly on land. After all, she was a mermaid. Everyone seemed to freeze and were just watching the show, unable to understand what was happening.

Serge jerked away from Leena again and bolted after Kidd as if under orders. Other students exchanged quiet whispers, some were brave enough to ask questions, some cheered for Serge and Irenes, some refused to take part. Leena watched him run after the mermaid, pass her and quickly close in on Kidd before the three of them disappeared behind trees and bushes. She was left alone in the romantic moment meant for two, her lips still tingling with his kiss, her body still feeling his warmth. She wrapped her arms around her, sighing. He had just left her because Irenes had needed help. There was no need for jealousy, she reassured herself. There would be an explanation later on.

Unable to think of anyone else than her black-haired boyfriend she failed to notice the hopeful eyes set on her.

Even though Serge was a fast runner, he had no chance of catching Kidd. He had closed in on her on even ground but as soon as they had entered the bushes she had began to increase the distance between them. She was fast and agile like a panther. It was true that she had had a good head start but she was also physically fit, he had to work not to lose sight of her. Once or twice she glanced at him, her eyes glowing fiercely. Later on Serge reflected on the chase and could've sworn that she hadn't been running out of guilt but out of confusion and fear. She had reached the campus walls and before he had even been close she had climbed over with ease, teasing him one last time with a wave and a smirk from the top. Serge stopped by the wall, scrutinizing it as if to determine whether or not to climb after her and decided not to. She was too fast, for all he knew she could've already disappeared into the crowds of Termina. Defeated, he took a moment to catch his breath and waited for Irenes to reach him.

"I knöw... shë was töö fast", the mermaid said as she finally made it to him. She was out of breath and her cheeks were glowing red, it had been an ordeal for her to cross the bushes to the wall. Serge smiled at her apologetically. Irenes nodded in understanding, she had seen a glimpse of red on top of the wall and guessed what it had been.

"Thiëf... She stöle mÿ sistër's pendänt!" She exclaimed, looking at the sky over the wall as if an invisible Kidd had stood there taunting them. Serge looked at her, puzzled by the revelation.

"I güess Ï shoüld expläin..." Irenes said after seeing his reaction. "I föund a pëndant undër her bëd that had Zelbess ëngravëd on ït. Shë must've stölen it fröm her!"

Serge was surprised to hear such an accusation. He shook his head determinedly. It couldn't be. He didn't know Kidd but he had a gut feeling that she wasn't involved. How could she be? She had just transferred from some far away land. Whatever had happened to Zelbess she hadn't been around back then. Even he, a native of El Nido, hadn't heard Zelbess's name in a long time. Last it had been mentioned aboard Fargo's ship but he couldn't quite remember the details of the conversation.

"Whÿ elsë would shë havë it?" Irenes asked. She knew Serge believed in the goodness in everyone, but she was convinced. Just when the pain of losing her sister had been beginning to fade her name had popped up again, bringing back the painful memories, the endless nights Irenes had stood up late just waiting for her and she had never come. Without a letter, without a word of goodbye she had disappeared, vanished like a ghost in the morning light. Years had passed, she had waited. Zelbess had never come. Eventually after five long years the Marbuleans had held a symbolical wake in her honor, putting her soul to rest and their minds at ease. Everyone else's except her grieving sister's.

"Maÿbe shë killëd hër and kept the pendänt as a memënto?" Irenes asked, knowing she was speculating but she had nothing else to hold onto. Kidd was her only lead in Zelbess's mystery and her mind refused to believe otherwise. She saw the hesitation in Serge's eyes, he shook his head again, taking her hand and pulling her into a hug.

"Whën shë didn't retürn höme I wäs devästäted..." Irenes said into his comforting chest, confiding in her silent friend. "I knëw she häd had a bäby with a hüman but evën if they didn't appröve of it I... she wäs still mÿ sister!"

Serge sighed. He had absolutely no idea what to do, so he listened.

"Shë wröte me lettërs. At nïght when evëryone elsë was asleëp she'd cöme by and visït with thë bäby... Hë was so cüte... Sö tiny..." Irenes said softly. "But then one nïght shë didn't cöme. And thë nïght aftër that. And thë nïght aftër that." The mermaid fell silent for a moment, reminiscing those times when she had been nothing but a child herself, swimming in the shallow waters near Marbule, waiting for her sister to come back. She had been her only family.

"I älwaÿs waïted for hër but shë just dïdn't come änymöre. I trïed to tälk to othërs, I triëd to gö look för her but I wäs too yöung and töö weäk for the bïg oceän to swïm in by mÿself..." Irenes said with a bitter tone, she clearly wished she would've been a little older when Zelbess had disappeared. "It's bëen 10 yeärs sincë I säw her läst. "

Serge didn't know what to think. He gently patted her on the back in an attempt to comfort her. If the two sisters had been close, she wouldn't have disappeared without a word. Something had happened to her that had prevented her from visiting Marbule at night. Maybe she had been kidnapped? Or taken captive and presented to the whole world in a freak show? Maybe she had been in an accident? With just a pendant as a lead he couldn't even begin to speculate what had happened to her. Had she truly been killed by someone it couldn't have been Kidd, at that time she had been merely a child herself. Irenes probably hadn't thought of it yet, she had only panicked upon seeing her sister's pendant and jumped to conclusions.

He let go of her, looking into her eyes encouragingly. She nodded. It was best to sleep on it and think about the mystery on a new day. The two walked back to where Serge had left Leena, she was still there looking at the ocean and the ball of red flattening against the horizon. Wind played with her hair as she noticed the two of them and came running towards them.

"What happened?" She asked. "Did she get away?"

"Wë lost hër," Irenes admitted. After that she explained the disappearance to Leena who listened to her story with keen ears and a compassionate heart. Her story broke her heart, she had never had a sister but she could relate to her loss having lost her father when she had been only seven years old.

"That's a terrible accusation", Leena said after having heard the whole story. "I don't think we should point fingers just yet."

Serge nodded. He agreed with her. Leena was always calm and thoughtful of others when she wasn't in a hellish fit of jealous rage. Even if she didn't particularly like Kidd she wasn't ready to make the innocent guilty without probable cause and good solid evidence.

"I güess..." Irenes said finally, looking at her tail fin. "I jüst nëed to havë somë clösure. I häve to find öut what rëally häppened tö her."

"We'll help you find out what really happened," Leena said encouragingly.

"I knöw it's bëën a löng time... I wäs only 6 when shë disäppeared. I wänted to come and livë here a löng tïme agö tö try and fïnd oüt what häppenëd but önly latëly peöple havë becöme morë tölerant of us dëmi-humans." Irenes explained.

Serge looked at his feet. It was true that only in recent years humans and demi-humans had begun to become equals, when he had been a boy in Termina with his mother the demi-humans had always been doing hard manual labor or other jobs no one else had wanted to do and despite their hard-working attitude they had always been looked down upon because they had been seen as outcasts, different than the rest. Freaks of nature. It hadn't been because Terminians had been cruel before, they had merely been ignorant. Not long ago a young rockstar had united the people of El Nido in a concert on the sea, for the first time both humans and demi-humans had shared the same ship and created a connection. That connection had, despite some resistance, worked in the favor of the demi-humans and given them access to the mainland.

They chatted a moment longer with Irenes about the hardships of being demi-human before night veiled them completely. With quick goodbyes they left the mermaid behind, Leena returned to her quarters and Serge to his. Glenn was already asleep when he came, his and his small dragon's snoring could be heard all the way to the door. As the black-haired boy passed his friend's room Draggy opened one lazy eye, switched sides and joined the snore chorus again. Serge made his way as quietly as he could into his room and got to bed, his mind preoccupied with everything that had happened.

He slowly drifted into restless sleep, accompanied by all the questions that circled in his head. What had been the chances of Irenes finding her sister's pendant? Under her roommate's bed seemed somewhat strange. Hadn't anyone else seen it before? How long had it been there? Maybe someone had wanted them to think that Kidd had something to do with Zelbess's disappearance. What were the actual chances that Kidd had stolen it? And who could she have stolen it from? After all, she had been a child when Zelbess had disappeared. But if she wasn't involved, who was? Someone had to know something.

On the other side of campus Nikki had managed to lose his entourage and was standing under Miki's dorm room window, taking deep breaths for luck. He had searched for the right moment to tell her how he felt, he had waited and waited and waited but it had never felt right. Earlier that night he had gazed at the thin crescent moon, knowing his time had come.

The dark night sky sparkled with thousands of stars, they spread into the vastness of space like shrouds of diamond dust. Not a single cloud sailed across the spectacular sky stretching into the horizon and into the universe. He couldn't help thinking how small they were, how unimportant. How short was a human life in the life span of stars. If Miki turned him down, then he would dust himself off and move on. The universe would give him another chance. He plucked his guitar twice, his tones vibrating in the night air. He looked at the sky and saw a shooting star. A wish erupted from his chest, a private reverie put into words, a dream yet to come true.

Nobody came to the window.

He waited.

"What's going on here?" Miki finally opened the window, looking down at him from the second floor. It took her eyes a few seconds to get used to the darkness outside to identify who it was holding a guitar, playing such soft tunes to lure her closer. She identified the silhouette to be Nikki, the rock star. How different he looked standing alone with nothing but the night sky behind him, stars like glitter raining on him. The world was his stage and he owned it. Miki couldn't help an adoring sigh escape her lips.

"I was just, like, thinking... maybe you'd want some music to dance to, you know." Nikki said quietly, explaining nervously the reason for his nightly visit. He was awkward, somehow Miki made him like that. She stripped him of his confidence and even when she looked at him with such admiring eyes he felt naked, vulnerable and lonely. She had the strength to lift him up over the moon or crush him down like a bug at her feet.

"Music?" The girl in the window asked, playing with a wisp of copper hair, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, her eyes narrowing with approval. She was truly a beauty, her skin glowed like silk in the faint moonlight, its glow danced on her coppery hair and ignited her blue eyes. She was like a mirage, an angel looking down on Nikki.

"I mean.. uh.. I'll, like, give you all the notes I have." The rock star said, hesitating every word. His palms were sweaty, his hands trembled, his muscles felt like jello. He was nervous. Every cell of his body was shaking with anxiousness.

"Huh?" The dancer tilted her head, her big blue eyes focusing on him.

"...Even the ones that don't fit on the note staff." Nikki said under his breath, looking away from the angelic creature in the window.

Miki froze in her window, unable to believe what she had just heard. Having said everything that needed to be said Nikki played softly a melody that touched her heart, it was soft and gentle yet unforgettably strong. It represented all of his feelings towards her, his hopes and his dreams, his promises for the future. Its beautiful voice filled the silent campus, the chords reached high into the night sky, his music soared across the ocean to Guldove and Marbule where demi-humans fell silent as they faintly heard such wonderful sounds.

But the melody bore no meaning to them. It filled their ears and gave them delight but to Miki it filled her heart and claimed her soul. Such wonderful music combined with his words had rendered her speechless. Hidden underneath those seemingly uninteresting musical terms was the most beautiful message, understandable only to a person who understood music as profoundly as the two of them did. She couldn't help smiling. He wanted to give her everything. No, as if that wasn't enough. He also wanted to give her the notes that _didn't fit on the note staff, _everything and beyond. The moon and the stars and the whole universe. She sighed, her heart wanting to burst out of her chest.

Nikki ended his song in a long note, prolonging it until it faded into the silent whispers of the night. He had given everything he had, he had played from the bottom of his heart, poured his soul into his guitar and allowed it to voice what he couldn't mold into words. His purest feelings and thoughts, his heart spread open in front of the girl he loved. He hung his head, sighing out of relief as the weight that had been on his heart had turned into notes and flown like butterflies into Miki's ears.

The dancer smiled with every muscle in her face. Her heart was dancing, skipping a few beats, jumping out of joy. It reached out for Nikki, it wanted to connect with him. Her body wanted to dance with him, for him. Her mind wanted to get to know him, study him. She wanted to be with him, be a part of his life.

"Maybe..." She said after a small silence. "Maybe I do feel like dancing for you."

As the two gazed at each other in a state of bliss called falling in love seconds turned into minutes and hour after hour morning slowly crept closer to the horizon. The two moons evaporated in the morning light, those bright rays of the sun pierced the darkness of the night and greeted the new day with warmth and brightness. Termina buzzed into life, teeming with merchants, travelers, thieves, vendors, bakers, butchers, fishermen, jacks of all trades... just to mention a few. Ships arrived at the dock and departed, bringing in spices and fabrics from the mainland. Trolleys full of fresh vegetables bounced up and down the main street, hurrying towards General Viper Plaza that soon overflowed with supplies. Fishermen sold their goods straight from the hook, claiming that no one else had fish as fresh as theirs. Wives, mothers, women were shopping. On campus students were walking slowly to their classes, enjoying the brisk new day. Teachers hurried to their lounge for a quick cup of coffee before work. Everyone was socializing as they went, some were talking about the concerto last night, others about the up-coming festival in Termina, some just exchanging hellos. A new day had begun.

Having had a painfully hard time of waking Serge up Glenn ran into the classroom, pulling his friend behind him with a dragoon's determination. He was diligent and hard-working, he was never late. Serge was sleepy in the mornings, he was always late. Glenn pushed his friend into his seat which he groggily took and found his own quietly. He ignored the slightly annoyed glares Serge was giving him. It was his responsibility to make sure his friend got to class in time, he had seen to that. A second later the black-haired boy had found Leena's gaze and smiled at her, she smiled sweetly back at him. Waking up early suddenly felt worth it.

Greco trudged in with a large box in his hands. He was a tall, muscular man and wore a long green jacket with red stripes at the hem and a black belt to secure it at the waist. He had thick green gloves on his hands, two triangular flaps of red fabric on his shoulders and brown uninteresting shoes good for walking. His face was hidden by a green mask that had holes for his eyes and mouth and was adorned with golden embroidery. It was a mask worn by a certain type of wrestlers back on Zenan mainland. Ever since his psychic wrestler career had not taken wing as he had expected he had had to take a job as a janitor at their school but was personally still certain that despite his high age and slightly tawdry appearance he would find fame and become revered as _el luchador psíquico asombroso. _That was why he still wore the mask.

All the students watched curiously as he set the box on Fargo's table who was sitting comfortably in his chair, smoking a cigar with his feet on the table. Not very acceptable from a teacher but he didn't care. As Greco finished his job he turned around on his heels without a word and began for the door. Everyone was quite certain that there was going to be a book to be read and written a literal analysis about. A quiet murmur rose among the students but didn't last long as Irenes got up in her chair and shuffled to the front, asking for permission to talk from their teacher. Fargo nodded lazily, leafing through one of the books Greco had brought. He just wasn't interested. The mermaid girl waited for the whole class to quiet down and everyone's eyes to fix on her. She had spent twice the amount of time on her make-up and hair that morning, knowing that she would have to be the centre of attention.

"Ëveryönë! My sister's prëciöus pendant was stölen last night!" She exclaimed dramatically. She had placed the pendant on her nightstand when she had gone to bed and in the morning it had vanished into thin air. The class gasped in surprise, mostly because not counting the two lovers no one had known that she had had a sister. Irenes, pleased with the shock, enjoyed the crowd anticipating for her to continue. The only one who couldn't care less was Norris, he merely glanced up from his books, found nothing of interest going on and returned to work.

"Oh my gawd!" Janice exclaimed, clasping her hands together. "Is you sister all right, though!?"

"Öh... not qüite..." Irenes said, looking at her tail fin. "Shë wënt mïssing ä long tïme ägo..."

"That's, like, terrible!" Janice leaned her head.

"Is your sister also a mermaid?" Greco asked, having stopped to listen by the door. He had used his psychic methods to deduce that the two sisters might not also look alike but also be of the same race. Not very impressive, I might add.

Irenes nodded barely noticeably, unable the discern whether or not it had been a rhetorical question.

"If she looks anything like you, I might have seen her when I was still a _luchador." _Greco continued, standing taller as he thought of his glorious years as a wrestler. "Ten years ago, _sí_. It was the night of the storm of the century... It had arisen from nowhere like a punishment from heaven. Our ship was being tossed around by the waves but I saw her... A mermaid like you but only for a second, she was jumping into the ocean to save those poor-"

"Cool story, grandpa! Save it for later!" Karsh cut him off, his friends snickering with him. Irenes had been holding her breath as Greco had spoke but the remark had ruined the story. She wanted to call him names but bit her lower lip, claiming moral high ground.

"Shut it, _cabron_!" Greco shouted at the young silver-haired boy, shaking his fist. Realizing that no one wanted to hear his tired old story except the mermaid he sighed, looking at his feet defeatedly. He just was neither interesting nor original.

"I shall tell it to you later, _amiga_. Come visit me any time, my shack is by the graveyard." He took Irenes's hands in his, felt her warmth and looked into her eyes that were filled with anxiousness and unanswered questions. She nodded, blushing just slightly as she pulled her hand away.

"Take your seat, Irenes," Fargo sighed. He didn't want to hear any more. "We need to start the lesson. Thanks for the books, Greco."

Irenes shuffled back to her seat and sat down obediently.

"_De nada, capitan."_ The ex-wrestled said as he exited. In his hands he could feel her uncertainty, her fear and pain of losing her sister. He walked down the empty corridor, jingling his keys on one hand. She would come to meet him. He was sure of that. She would come for help and he would use his psychic abilities to find her sister and at last he would be revered as _el luchador psíquico asombroso._

Back in the classroom everyone was finally sitting down quietly and lesson was about to start. Fargo cleared his throat as he looked for a piece of chalk to use, found one, examined it as if to see whether or not it would last the whole day in his use and approved of it. He drew a line on the chalkboard and stopped to think for a second.

"I'm sure everythin' will be all right," He turned around to say to the mermaid sitting on first row. "I can understand how you feel, my wife went missin' a long time ago as well."

"I höpe sö," Irenes said, her heart thumping in her chest, red rushing to her face. Fargo had spoken so softly and encouragingly to her and even shared such a piece of personal information. It was turning out to be a good day. She had completely disregarded the sadness contained in the sentence and turned it into one of those little details lovers tell each other about themselves. The word _wife_ meant nothing to her. As long as she was _missing_ it was all the same. Her heart refused any objections and drenched itself in Fargo's presence, filling her chest with pure happiness that almost made her forget her loss.

"I CAN'T MAKE OUT A WORD SHE SAID, HA HA, HER DIALECT IS SO WEIRD." Zoah shouted to Karsh who was sitting right next to him. He had trouble controlling the volume of his speech due to the helmet he was wearing.

Pierre laughed out loud. "Oui, 'er dialect is very 'umorous!"

Steena gave them a long look. She couldn't stand it when the two boys made fun of Irenes's accent. It was something that she had inherited, it was a part of her. By making fun of it they were sending the message that she should've learned to speak like Terminians, disregard her heritage and blend in. Steena, being a shaman, embraced the diversity of the world and appreciated it. She didn't regret it even when the studies had isolated her from her peers as a child. When other kids had jumped into the ocean to swim, she had practiced rituals or memorized chants or studied signs. To see someone trying to suppress the universe mirroring itself in each and everyone made her blood boil.

Guile glanced at her, saw the anger on her face and said calmly: "Perhaps she should poke fun at your helmet, Zoah?"

"THERE IS NOTHING FUNNY ABOUT MY HELMET." The warrior said, touching it and adjusting it carefully. He had conscientiously polished it earlier in the morning, it was very important to him and his self-confidence that it was spotless.

"That's correct. The comedy is inside of it." Guile said nonchalantly and the whole class burst out laughing. Had they been able to see through the helmet, they would've witnessed what it looks like when Zoah blushes. Without a word he pretended to focus on his studies. He should have known better than to make fun of his classmates... and that he was holding his book upside down.

"Can we get to studying already?" Norris was the first one to get back to business. He had been trying to focus on his studies as the rest of the class had been focusing on missing sisters, ex-wrestlers, dialects and insults. As usual his desk was full of books and notes, he was multitasking by studying multiple subjects during one class.

Serge yawned, glaring at his friend. He could've slept at least a half an hour longer. Glenn rolled his eyes but said nothing.

"Everyone, quiet down. I swear you'll drive me insane one day", Fargo said irately. He had succumbed briefly into a memory of Zelbess, how she had used to swim by the ship's side on summer days trying to lure him in with her, looking absolutely stunning as the waves had glistened around her like stardust. Her laughter still echoed in his ears. He could vividly remember her beautiful blue geisha-like hair, her long slender figure, her soft melodious voice, her sweet and salty scent. Norris's request had brought him back to reality but Zelbess's memory haunted his every thought. It went to prove that old wounds heal slowly.

"Nö, we woüld never dö that," Irenes said, snapping him out of his thoughts once again. For the first time Fargo noticed similarities between the two, his wife and the mermaid that sat in the front row. Despite the resemblance he didn't make the connection, only confused himself further by noticing Irenes's saltwater beauty. His heart took a few irrational beats. He was finally gazing at Irenes as a person, not as a student.

"Wé are só in love with thé teachér!" Karsh jeered, trying to imitate her accent but failed miserably. Irenes blushed deep red, Steena took a deep breath. Only Zoah found it appropriate to guffaw inside his helmet.

"Goddamn kids messin' with my head," Fargo whispered to himself as he began to write on the chalkboard. He introduced the book they were supposed to read and gave the assignment. No one was really paying much attention, too much had happened before class had started and everyone was wondering about the sister Irenes had lost.

Pierre was stroking the feather on his hat, positioning it just right to look awesome in his own mind. Karsh ran his hands through his long hair, it got tangled really easily. Zoah sat still. Orlha was stretching, her muscles were a bit sore from all the training she'd done the previous night. Riddel browsed through the book, it didn't seem too interesting. Leena and Serge exchanged glances and smiled at one another again. Steena sat solemnly, trying to follow what Fargo was teaching them. Guile sighed out of boredom and created small flames between his thumb and index finger. Nikki and Miki sat hand in hand, the rest of the world didn't even exist to them. Irenes sighed adoringly as she followed Fargo's every move. Janice drew circles in her notebook, not even noticing Grobyc watching her. Glenn chewed on his pencil, attempting to pay attention but his mind was preoccupied. Had he fed Draggy before leaving? He couldn't remember.

"Oi!"

Serge flinched and turned to look out the window. It took him a second to realize Kidd had been the one to call out for him. She was crouching behind the window, barely visible from the eyes up. She had learned the first lesson of how not to be seen, it was not to stand up. Briefly he glanced around to make sure it hadn't been meant for someone else and after confirming that everyone else was busy doing whatever it was they did, he still pointed at himself with raised eyebrows. Kidd frowned and nodded, rolling her eyes. Who else could she have meant? He was the only friend she'd made so far.

"I didn't steal her lame necklace!" The blonde girl whispered loudly enough for him to hear her. "Ya believe me right?"

Serge nodded without hesitation.

"Ya gotta help me out, mate!" The blonde girl continued hastily, popping her head a little higher. "Ya need to-"

"Serge!" Leena whispered, unknowingly cutting Kidd off.

He flinched again as he spun around to look at the redhead. He was not only tired and irritated anymore, he was also getting jumpier by the minute. And what was wrong with his heart? Once again it was beating frantically.

"Who are you talking to?" Leena said as she looked past him and saw a wisp of blonde hair. Kidd swore abundantly and dove down, but it was too late. She had been seen.

"That girl!" Leena gasped. "She's there!"

"Who is?" Fargo, irritated that his teaching had once again been interrupted, turned to face them from the chalkboard where he had been writing some notes for them. Not many had copied them. Norris had copied them twice.

A second passed when no one knew what to say or do. Who and where? What and why?

"Oi, Serge, ya gotta come with me!" Kidd used the confusion in her favor and leaned in through the window. Determinedly she grabbed Serge's elbow and pulled him towards the window. "Help a girl out, yeah?"

Their eyes met. Her rude, tough gaze was soft and pleading. For the first time she looked cute, vulnerable, helpless. His heart beat was almost bursting out of his chest. As if possessed by some strange force he couldn't bring himself to decline. He was ready to do whatever she needed of him. He followed her out of the window and ran off with her, holding her hand like he would've drowned without her.

Leena was the first to stand up and run to the window, shouting after him: "SERGE!"

Glenn was not far behind and as shocked as she was. The others were gathering around them, curious to see the two fugitives for themselves. One with blonde hair in a long ponytail secured with red strings pulling behind the other with a pink scarf around his head that spilled some of his black hair. Slowly the dust arising from their feet pounding against the ground hid them and they became silhouettes and illusions.

"Ah, Serge..." Norris sighed, the pen in his hand slowing down only for a second. "Running away from school."

"EHRMAGERD" Janice over-articulated. "I can't believe he just _ran off_!"

"Is he really that deficient?" Guile asked no one in particular. "He already has a woman of such unmatched beauty, is there any reason for this?"

Leena looked at Glenn for encouraging words but he was all out of them. He was just as baffled as she was.

"Dudes... Chasing girls isn't dumb at all." Nikki said without even looking away from Miki. She sighed adoringly. The fangirls kept a distance. They knew what was good for them.

"CHASING IS BUT CATCHING ISN'T." Zoah shouted through his helmet, taking part into the conversation.

"I believe you're quite the smooth-talker," Guile retorted over his shoulder.

"NO THE TRICK IS TO-"

"No one wants to hear it!" Leena shouted, clenching her fists in her anger. "Stupid, stupid, stupid Serge! I'll never forgive you for this!"

Her fury passed as quickly as it had come, her love for Serge was so strong that she couldn't be mad at him for long. Her anger turned to sorrow, jealousy into insecurity and she buried her head into Glenn's chest who awkwardly put his hands around her in an attempt to comfort her. She sobbed inconsolably. Her heart was breaking into millions of pieces, the shards tearing open her insides. Her blood was freezing, her mind falling apart. She had been deprived of the one thing she had lived for. Glenn glanced at his male friends looking for some advice on how to comfort Leena but they all shrugged. No one knew what to do when a girl was crying.

"There must be a good reason for this." Norris finally joined the others, having given up on studying. There were too many distractions.

"You and Serge have such a long history together, he wouldn't throw all that away." Riddel said softly, putting a hand on Leena's back that went up and down rapidly as she almost hyperventilated between faint sobs and hopeless wails.

"Yes, she must be in some kind of trouble", Glenn agreed with his friend, feeling his shirt wetting with her tears.

"Shë did ït." Irenes said loudly, vehemently. "Shë stolë my sistër's pendänt."

"Wh-what?" Orlha asked.

"You should be absolutely certain before making such serious accusations." Guile ascertained, Steena nodding by his side.

"I äm." Irenes said. "She's thë only onë whö cöuld've stölen thë pëndant withöut a söund. Shë häd a keÿ to öur röom!" She explained. Nobody understood how important it was for her to gain some closure, find out what had happened to Zelbess, lay the matter finally to rest. Not knowing what had happened was the worst because it fed hope and hope made her cling onto the thought that even after all these years she would, one day, come back.

"Ah, Kidd stole it?" Pierre said as he stroked his chin, chuckling to himself. "_Mon fille sale..._"

Guile lifted an eyebrow. Apparently he knew french.

"We don't know for sure." Riddel said. "Let's not be hasty. It could've been anyone on campus. Maybe you left a window open?"

They were quiet for a bit. Irenes tried to remember had she forgotten to close the window for the night but couldn't.

"Why-not-just-ask-everyone-if-they-took-it?" Grobyc asked. "I-do-not-care."

"Nö, it häs to bë hër!" Irenes exclaimed, almost panicking when others were trying to be reasonable. "Whö knows, she mïght bë öne of thösë... those Rädicäl Dreämërs!"

"We should give her a chance to explain, however." Riddel continued, looking directly into the mermaid's eyes. "There could be some misunderstanding, we don't know her."

"I agree. We need evidence before we can point any fingers," Norris replied with a sense of importance around him. He was smart and had the means of deduction, he vowed to himself that he would be the one to solve the mystery of the missing Zelbess. The he would become a highly ranking officer with the respect of his peers and especially the lord of El Nido. He admired general Viper and was slightly surprised that a man of his size and looks could actually produce such a beautiful, slender creature as miss Riddel.

Irenes hung her head, letting a defeated sigh erupt from her chest. The others were right. Alone she could do nothing but point fingers and rush into conclusions, together they could bounce ideas and look for palpable evidence.

"I'll still punch Serge in the face." Orlha said quietly, clenching her fists.

Glenn held his friend's girlfriend against his chest and listened to her diminishing sobs. He was already sorry for his friend who would have hell waiting for him on his return. _If he would ever return. _Leena was calming down but her head was a mess. She had known Serge ever since they had been little children. They had grown up together, intertwined like vines. They hadn't fallen in love at any specific moment, they had grown into it. It had felt natural. She had thought she knew everything about him. It had all crumbled in a few seconds, suddenly she didn't know him at all.

Fargo was quiet, deep in thought. As the class had rushed into the window he had departed on a journey back in time. He had gone back ten years, back to the evening of the storm of the century. It had come from nowhere, without a warning even for the most experienced sailor. Suddenly waves had just become tall as buildings and angry as wild beasts. They had devoured small ships and slammed against rocks and islands with the kind of fury that only the ocean could possess... Darkness had spread across El Nido like a wet blanket, concealing everything and lowering visibility to a few hundred feet. It had felt sticky and suffocative. Clouds had begun to cry hopelessly, rain had come pouring down on them. Lightning had split the sky, illuminating the darkness so that they caught a glimpse of a small fishing boat in the middle of the rage of the sea. Thunder almost split their eardrums. The tiny boat was doomed. Those three had no hope of surviving. Zelbess's figure by the window, holding a small child on one arm, another bolt lightning drew her outlines in the darkness.

_"We have to do something!"_

_"We can't! It's too risky! " _

_"But we can't let them die, Fargo! Look, there's a child on board!"_

_"Zelbess, no!"_

"Teacher?" Norris asked. Fargo was brought back to present time from his memories by his inquiring voice. "Can we continue the lesson?"

"Yes... yes, of course." He said, disoriented by the memory. "Everyone, take your seats. Those two will get what's comin' for them."

After a moment of murmur the students settled down but whispers still lingered in the air as gossip was born._ Serge and Kidd, sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.._. Leena was heartbroken, Glenn baffled, Norris annoyed, the rest either confused or uninterested. Not even Fargo, who had been at sea most of his life and seen all sorts of escapes had never seen anything like it.

Unaware of the rumors already spreading like ripples in a pond, Serge and Kidd finally slowed down and sat down on a fallen tree to catch their breaths. They were deep in the forest behind Viper Manor, surrounded by age-old trees reaching for the sky. Their foliage filtered green light creating a mythical atmosphere. The forest stood majestically still yet full of life. Insects of all colors and shapes flew around in circles, playing with one another. Birds squawked high up in the tree tops, frogs croaked at their feet, lizards hissed as they crawled up stalks of plants. A brook hummed somewhere not far away. The life of the forest was completely undisturbed by the two humans that had entered the kingdom.

Kidd glanced at Serge, suddenly she started giggling like a school girl. It slowly peaked into laughing her head off and she held her sides as if to keep them from splitting. Her elation rubbed off on Serge and he laughed with her, he had done something he had never done before. He had run away from school. It was utterly forbidden yet so exciting but frightening, exhilarating but distressing. He was in a whirlpool of feelings and he could do nothing but laugh. He was feeling the rush of rebellion for the first time in his life.

"Thanks for comin' with me, mate." Kidd finally said, wiping the corners of her eyes from tears of laughter. The hilarity of the moment vanished and the two looked at the treetops above them. As leaves swayed in the wind isolated rays of sunlight shot down on them. Kidd turned to look at him as she continued quietly: "Not many woulda... at all..."

Serge smiled at her. She was very cute when she showed her vulnerable side. Behind her hard exterior and obnoxious act she was a pretty normal girl. She was blonde and cute, her eyes were round and her lips inviting. Her chest went up and down slowly as she breathed. There was nothing special or odd about her yet he was so intrigued by her. She was rebellious but she wasn't bad. Kidd noticed Serge looking at her and flashed a smile. For the first time she felt like she didn't have to keep her defenses up- it was all right to let him see her soft side.

Suddenly she remembered why she had escaped and jumped on both feet, waving her hands around frantically. "I really had no idea why that mermaid girl was chasin' me! She kept yellin' somethin' about a pendant but hey, I dunno nothin' about that! And she was_ mad as hell_ too! I woulda kicked her arse so hard but I tried just for once not to get in trouble..." Her voice faded away as she looked at her feet.

She kept a pause. Serge watched her, she glanced at him. The forest was quiet around them. She sat down again and began fiddling with the hem of her minidress. They sat in silence for a moment. Serge looked around.

"Ya know, a new place and all..." Kidd explained quietly. "Yet I screwed it up... Everyone thinks I'm a thief..."

She sighed. Serge shook his head and put a hand on her shoulder, smiling encouragingly. He pointed at himself to indicate that he didn't think she was a thief.

Kidd looked at him with her eyes wide, realizing that she had let someone touch her and it hadn't made her want to punch him. It felt strange, his hand was warm and comforting, not hard and demanding. All the hands in her life had been rough and cruel but his gloved hand invited her closer, it wanted to hold her and caress her. Perplexed by the strange thought she tensed up and looked away. Serge let go, misinterpreting her delight for shock. Afraid of the tender feelings she was beginning to feel for the black-haired boy she gathered all of her strength and jumped on her feet again.

"Yeah... we'll clear it up!" She exclaimed, clenching her fist in front of her face. "Thanks for believin' in me, mate! I owe you one!"

* * *

Whew! What a long one, I hope you weren't bored reading it! Please review and follow if you want to see this story continued. It really means a lot to me to hear what you think! Next chapter Leena vs. Kidd!? Who wins Serge? Who should?


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